A/HRC/7/66
page 17
V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
64. Increased awareness of human rights is being noted, and more people today in
Sierra Leone are asserting and demanding protection of their rights. The Human Rights
Commission has been established, a number of recommendations of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission have been implemented, some critical legislation passed in
furtherance of human rights, and civil society organizations are becoming more active in
the promotion of human rights. However, a number of significant challenges still remain.
65. While the support of the Peacebuilding Fund for the National Human Rights
Commission and the justice sector should strengthen the capacity of these institutions and
promote human rights, the political will of the Government and ownership of interventions
in these sectors remain critical to achieving a comprehensive, holistic and integrated
impact on human rights and the justice system in Sierra Leone.
66.
Accordingly, the High Commissioner:
• Strongly urges the Government of Sierra Leone to implement the
recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in particular the
reparations programme. In this regard, the Government is encouraged to amend
the National Commission for Social Action Act to legally empower it to implement
the programme, establish a trust fund for war victims, and set up a mechanism for
sustained support to the programme by the Government
• Encourages the Constitutional Review Commission to incorporate all the
recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concerning
constitutional reform, and the Law Reform Commission to prioritize those
recommendations in its activities
• Calls upon the Government to take ownership of the Human Rights Commission
of Sierra Leone by providing adequate budgetary allocations in the national
budget and making timely disbursement of those allocations to allow the
Commission to work effectively
• Urges the Government to strengthen the capacity of the courts and the Ministry of
Justice, and to establish a national legal aid programme in order to address the
problems of delay in trials, prolonged pretrial detentions and excessive remand
and adjournment of cases
• Recommends a comprehensive review of all customary laws in Sierra Leone, with
a view to identifying and harmonizing practices and procedures that are
inconsistent with the Constitution and international human rights standards
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